Page 16 of Recon Rendezvous

“The FourFucksmen?”

Sasha nods. “Of the Ho-pocalypse.”

I never stop laughing with these girls.

“Forty Cent,” Mia adds.

“The Fuckable Four,” Gem says.

“Gross. I can’t! Ty is like my little brother.” I gag. “And I’ve known Eli so long, he’s basically family. Stop, please!”

Mia’s eyes twinkle at my words. “What about the other two in this equation? Drew and Xander aren’t like your little brothers. What do you think about them?”

All eyes are on me as I consider my words. Honesty is always the way to go. “I totally get it. They are both handsome. Drew seems sweet, the forever type. Xander is more of your dirty little secret.”

Ha, literally.

They howl as I smile to myself and try to direct the attention away from me. “Keep going. Tell me more about last summer. But first, I have to say, I’m so happy you found Ty, Sasha. You too, Gem and Mia. You’re a part of this family. I’m excited to have girls to hang out with. I only had those two growing up. Now, I get sisters, too.”

I smile as they tell me the stories of how they subsequently fell in love. While it’s all very sweet and Ilovelove and the way Sasha and Gem light up as they recall all the poignant moments that led them here, the little pit in my gut grows a bit bigger. I don’t think I’ll ever have that. At this point, I don’t even think I want it. Not anymore.

Running my fingers through my silky hair, I have to give Gem credit. This looks and feels like a professional silk press. After wrapping my hair in my leopard print satin scarf, I join the girls in the family room. Sasha and Mia are putting Gem’s long curly hair in braids of varying sizes, and I smile. Who knew that my cousin’s marriage would bring me three new girlfriends. Even though my plan was always to move here, the fact that I sort of have these new built-in friends is a treat.

Bringing my wine glass to my lips, I watch them as they laugh and rib each other and I silently remind myself to call my girl, Zuri, soon. I miss her face.

Looking up, Sasha meets my gaze. “Alright, Ms. Cameron. It’s your turn to spill the tea.”

“Absolutely. What about?”

“Everything. What has you moving here now?”

“What kind of guys do you like?” Mia asks.

“Are you excited to have three new best friends?” Gem adds.

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Well, now that pretty much my entire family has relocated to Chicago, or the ‘burbs, over the last few years, I want to be closer to them. It's the perfect time in my life to try something new. Besides, my parents are getting older, so are my aunt and uncle, and I want to put down roots.” That’s close enough to the truth.

They all nod as I turn to Mia. “Okay, so the kind of guys I like… I have no idea anymore. I'm not interested in guys right now.” Her face quirks up and I know before she can even say it. “No, I'm not interested in girls either. Um, I'm actually taking a break from dating. I’ve heard too many stories about the pee and debris in the dating pool. It seems like a hassle that’s not worth it.”

Sighing, I lean back on the cushion and gaze at the ceiling. “I was in a…god, a seven-year relationship until about eight months ago.”

They gasp, but I continue, lost in my own little world. “To say I'm not looking for another relationship is a fucking understatement. I want to focus on me right now, you know, whatIwant. Build this new life here and see what happens. These trash ass men are the least of my worries.”

Sitting up, I turn to face them, ignoring their sympathetic faces. “And yes, Gem, I'm so excited to have three new best friends. I literally was just thinking that those boys falling in love made us like an instant family. Being around you all and seeing your close bond has really helped me feel confident in my decision to move here and make this place my home. I'm grateful Ty and Eli couldn’t keep it in their pants and for having such great taste.”

“Yes, honey. They have excellent taste!” Mia adds with a smile.

“Cheers to that.” We laugh as I continue to watch them play with Gem’s curls.

“I overheard you say you have some job interviews,” Sasha asks. “Tell us more about what you do?”

I take another sip of my Riesling before responding. “Brand photography. I had a few colleagues spread the word about my move and I cast a few lines. There are several opportunities here I’m excited about.”

“That’s awesome. Besides styling, I’m a bit of an influencer. Mostly fashion and makeup. I’d love to collaborate on something if possible.” Mia’s bright eyes and smile have me nodding without a thought.

“Absolutely. I’d actually love to work for myself, you know, freelance, but getting started during a move is even too much for me to handle, but maybe in a year or two.” Yes, that’s about when I should be able to balance everything.

“In the meantime, I really want to start looking at some places. I need an apartment like yesterday, something with amazing closets to fit all my shoes.”

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